Travel to the heart of the Canadian Rockies on this spectacular vacation. Your trip begins in Calgary with a sightseeing tour of Calgary’s highlights and admission to the Calgary Stampede. Head west through the foothills of the Canadian Rockies into Banff National Park, Canada’s oldest national park and gateway to the Canadian Rockies. Spend two overnights at this popular year-round resort with time to explore on your own or to take an optional excursion. On the way to Jasper National Park, stop in Lake Louise and discover this world-famous location with its cold waters reflecting the surrounding mountains and glaciers. Next, a vacation highlight: take a thrilling ride aboard an all-terrain Ice Explorer on the Columbia Icefield, the largest expanse of ice in the Canadian Rockies. In Jasper National Park, the largest national park in Canada, enjoy two overnights and an orientation tour in Jasper. Depart Jasper, follow the Fraser River to the base of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies, and overnight in Kamloops. Travel to the Pacific Coast and board a ferry for Victoria, where you’ll enjoy two overnights and a city tour plus time for optional activities, including a whale-watching cruise. Also visit world-famous Butchart Gardens with its 55 acres of showcase floral exhibits. Sail through the spectacular Gulf Islands back to Vancouver and enjoy sightseeing of the famous landmarks. Board your Holland America cruise ship for a spectacular journey through Alaska’s picturesque Inside Passage and Glacier Bay. Hear the thunderous roar as glaciers crash into the sea, experience some of Alaska’s small towns, and watch for wildlife such as spouting whales and soaring eagles—a great way to wrap up your majestic Canadian Rockies vacation.

Services of a professional Tour Director; crew member service while cruising on Holland America’s MS Volendam.

Scenic Highlights:Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Mount Robson, Fraser River, Thompson River with spectacular views of the Monashee Mountains, British Columbia’s Coast Mountain Range, Strait of Georgia, and the Gulf Islands.

NOTES: This special departure includes all activities on our regular departures with two additional days in Calgary plus Calgary Stampede 2-day admission.Cruise itineraries are provided by Holland America Line and are up to date at time of printing. Your travel documents will contain the most current information.

The following UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be seen or visited on this vacation:

Meals

Meals & Itinerary

Itinerary

Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description.

Day 1 Calgary

Enjoy time at leisure to relax or to do some exploring. Your Tour Director is on hand late this afternoon to answer any questions.

Day 2 Calgary Stampede Grounds

Welcome to Calgary and “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Dressed in your best Cowboy fashion from belt buckles, boots to chaps, explore the Calgary Stampede grounds at your leisure with your included admission. Step through the gates of Stampede Park into a world of wonder, fun, and “Wild West” excitement. Walk back in time through an authentic Indian Village or stroll the streets of a recreated frontier town. Enjoy a wide variety of exciting talent at the many entertainment stages, and then maybe head into the dazzling array of international exhibits and displays of Western art. This evening, watch the heart-stopping chuck wagon races in an all-out dash for the finish line, an amazing contest of nerves and horsepower. You’ll be out of your seats cheering on your favorite driver during each heat. Afterward, get ready for an outdoor stage show featuring hundreds of singers, dancers, and musicians in a lavishly produced and choreographed musical variety spectacular.

Breakfast

Day 3 Calgary Stampede Grounds and Rodeo

Fuel up for the day’s activities by visiting Fluor Rope Square at Olympic Plaza for a pancake breakfast. Return to the Stampede grounds this morning to see anything you missed yesterday, and cheer on your favourite rodeo contenders. If you haven’t already, get suited with a cowboy hat, threads and boots at one of the many stalls before heading to the Grandstand for the Calgary Stampede Rodeo this afternoon. See the best of the best as they saddle up for world-class rodeo action. Top professionals take on the West’s wildest horses. You’ll also enjoy rodeo’s most famed event—bull riding! You will be in awe of the talent as you sit on the edge of your seat. Make the most of your time here and discover Canada’s country core. With square dancing, mock gun fights, country bands, bars, restaurants and livestock, there is loads to see.

Breakfast

Day 4 Calgary–Banff National Park

The discovery of oil converted this ranching town into a sophisticated city. It is also home to the world-famous Calgary Stampede. Tour many of the city’s attractions, including Canada Olympic Park, and the Saddledome. Motor west through the foothills and into BANFF NATIONAL PARK, gateway to the majestic Canadian Rockies. Join the optional excursion to Sulphur Mountain for panoramic views of Banff’s spectacular scenery.

Breakfast

Day 5 Banff National Park

Banff is one of Canada’s favorite year-round resorts, with summer activities such as hiking, boating, and fishing. With a free day, your Tour Director will suggest an optional helicopter ride over the Canadian Rockies.

Day 6 Banff National Park–Lake Louise–Columbia Icefield–Jasper National Park

Enjoy a day of scenic grandeur. First stop is Lake Louise, whose turquoise waters create a perfect natural mirror that reflects the surroundings. Up next is a stop at the COLUMBIA ICEFIELD to experience the Ice Explorer, an all-terrain vehicle that travels on ice that is 1,200 feet thick. Next, journey north into JASPER NATIONAL PARK, where precipitous gorges, snowcapped summits, and lakes of exquisite blues and greens come into view as the motorcoach scales two mountain passes. Later, your Tour Director suggests an optional float trip down the Athabasca River. Enjoy an orientation tour of Jasper townsite upon arrival.

Day 7 Jasper National Park

Today, join our optional excursion to Maligne Lake and Spirit Island, where you embark on a narrated cruise of the lake. The balance of the day is free to enjoy everything Jasper has to offer—from guided hikes and quaint shops to meandering wildlife.

Day 8 Jasper National Park–Mount Robson–Kamloops

Depart Jasper and follow the Fraser River to the base of Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. The Yellowhead Highway continues south along the mighty Thompson River, with spectacular views of the Monashee Mountains. Overnight in Kamloops.

Day 9 Kamloops–Ferry Crossing–Victoria

As you travel through British Columbia’s Coast Mountain Range to its majestic Pacific coastline, the vegetation changes from desert landscape to lush alpine forests. Board your afternoon ferry for the spectacular crossing to Vancouver Island. Sightseeing in Victoria includes the Inner Harbour, Bastion Square, Thunderbird Park, and world-famous BUTCHART GARDENS. This evening, consider a stroll along the lively Waterfront Promenade.

Day 10 Victoria

Today is a free day for independent sightseeing. Your Tour Director will have ideas to enhance your enjoyment of this most British of Canadian cities. Take an optional whale watching cruise and seek out pods of killer whales. A suggestion for this evening is an optional historic walk followed by dinner in Chinatown.

Day 11 Victoria–Ferry Crossing–Vancouver

This morning, set sail across the Strait of Georgia and through the spectacular Gulf Islands, an archipelago known for its climate. In Vancouver, city sightseeing includes STANLEY PARK, Gastown, Chinatown, and many other famous landmarks. The remainder of the day is free to explore Robson Street and experience British Columbia’s premier shopping and entertainment location.

Day 12 Vancouver (Embarkation)

Embark your cruise ship.

Dinner

Day 13 Scenic Cruising: Inside Passage

One of the most picturesque sea lanes in the world, the natural beauty here is unbelievable, featuring thick emerald-green forests and expansive turquoise glaciers.

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Day 14 Juneau

Accessible only by air and water, history, Native culture, wildlife, and nature come to life here. Shop for gold nuggets, saunter through the swinging doors at the Red Dog Saloon, or visit mighty Mendenhall Glacier.

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Day 15 Skagway

Step back in time as you stroll along wooden boardwalks, visit the Red Onion Saloon, explore Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, or ride the antique White Pass & Yukon Route narrow-gauge railway.

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Day 16 Scenic Cruising: Glacier Bay

This incredible Biosphere Reserve protects a unique ecosystem, hosting an amazing spectacle as tremendous slabs of ice break off and “calve” into the sea.

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Day 17 Ketchikan

Hugging the shores of the Tongass Narrows, this self-proclaimed “Salmon Capital of the World” boasts the largest totem collection on the planet and a former red-light district-turned art district on historic Creek Street.

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Day 18 Scenic Cruising: Inside Passage

Cruise through the awe-inspiring scenery of the Inside Passage. Keep your cameras ready for spouting whales, soaring eagles, and other wildlife. Tonight, enjoy a sumptuous dinner and onboard entertainment.

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Lunch

Dinner

Day 19 Vancouver (Disembarkation)

Disembark this morning and transfer to Vancouver International Airport for your return flight home. Please schedule flights after Noon.

Breakfast

Tour Director

With Cosmos, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of your Tour Director. Averaging over a decade... we’d like you to meet a Tour Director, who is representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

SERENA CAMPBELL

Escorting tours for more than 15 years

Years of Experience: 16

“As a small child I was fascinated when hearing my grandparents' travel adventures. I would listen to their stories for hours! Here I am, years later, taking passengers around, sharing stories and showcasing my beautiful country! Combining my love for working with people and traveling is a perfect fit. Seeing the fascination in passengers' eyes as they witness Western Canada's stunning and ever changing scenery is the part I love best. Bringing the world alive through stories is a privilege.”

Optional Excursions

The following list of optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These optional excursions might or might not be offered. Whether it's a special dinner, a local show or a special behind-the-scenes glimpse into an historical site, optional excursions are a wonderful way to enrich your vacation even further. Plus, they give you flexibility. We include the must-see sites and experiences, and we also understand that people take interest in different activities and may want to craft a more personal vacation by hand-picking optional excursions that appeal to them.

Banff National Park

Banff National Park

Banff Gondola

The adventure begins with an eight minute journey to the summit of Sulphur Mountain in a modern, fully-enclosed four passenger gondola cabin. The views become increasingly spectacular as you climb 698m (2,292 ft.) to an elevation of 2,281m (7,486 ft.) at the Summit Upper Terminal. Stay on the look out for wildlife and birds that frequent the Banff Gondola. This is nature's wild playground, so a camera is a must! You can encounter the local wildlife including Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, Golden mantled ground squirrels, Hoary marmots, Clark's nutcracker and the Canada (Gray) jay. Afterwards, we'll visit thundering Bow Falls where plenty of great photo opportunities await you. Be sure to bring a sweater or light jacket as the wind can become quite cool at 2,285 meters above sea level.

Approximate value: $44 CAD per person

Know Before You Go

These Know Before You Go travel tips are designed with you in mind, with helpful hints to help you prepare for and enjoy your escorted vacation. They are your guide to getting ready and contain general information on travel documentation, customs, and the country/countries you will be visiting, including budgeting, transportation, climate, languages, and much more. With Globus, you benefit from our experience.

* The "Starting at" or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per passenger based on double occupancy and does not include airfare; additional fees/charges are not included. If a price is crossed out, the new price includes a limited time promotional offer(s) – please review current promotions or deals for additional information. Some tours require intra-vacation flights (and in some cases intra-vacation segments must be purchased from Cosmos).